For a location that inhabits the distinguished dark purple of the Monopoly board an exciting history is a given and 1851 was a particularly exciting year in the W1 story. The year of inception for QueenVictoria’s Great Exhibition in Hyde Park was a seminal demonstration of Great Britain’s status, and recognition of the fashionable prominence of the London district. The same year saw the addition of Flemings’ Hotel to the increasing luxury of the illustrious Mayfair and a striking stained glass window in the hotel commemorates the neighbouring exhibition, held across Hyde Park.
Receding calmly from the hustle of Mayfair, the townhouses Flemings inhabits bespeak the elegance of its roots. The hotel has provided a home-from-home for guests since its opening in 1851, earning it the time-trusted reputation as one of London’s oldest hotels.
As servant and valet to the Marquis and Marchioness of Anglesey, hotel founder Robert Fleming knew a thing or two about service. Flemings’ Hotel is first documented as a lodging house at 10 Half Moon Street in the 1852 London Post Office Directory. By 1855, Fleming had expanded the property and, from humble beginnings, he is described as running a ‘Private Hotel’ at 9 & 10 Half Moon Street. By 1883, 41 Clarges Street had been added to the property and Flemings of Mayfair was truly established.
The recent redesign offers a fusion of the Georgian elegance of the interconnecting townhouses, which have stood on the site since 1730, and a lush contemporary design which gives a unique 1950′s Mayfair spin.
You can read more about the recent refurbishment in our interview with designer Grant White.
